


Begin Again, But This Time...

by DocLeech



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, Nintendo left it open ended and I'm running with it, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Selectively Mute Link, Slow Burn, This is a "what if this happened after the game" AU, also there will be puns and no I'm not sorry, everyone loves Link and just wants him to get better, lots of world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 00:21:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13752291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DocLeech/pseuds/DocLeech
Summary: When the usual cycle of death and rebirth becomes broken, it causes Ganon to be reborn a year after his defeat at the hands of Link and Zelda, but has zero idea of who he is, who he was, and what he was meant to be.Link struggles with coming to terms with everything that happened, from the events of 100 years ago to all that time he missed and then being suddenly thrown back into the middle of it all with a broken memory. He has turned over the Master Sword to Zelda for safe keeping during her travels across Hyrule. It's a time of peace and prosperity, the land and it's people are recovering from the havoc Calamity Ganon brought and everyone assumes the worst is over.So what sort of turn will Link's life, and the lives of those around him, take when a large hooded figure said to be the man that fell from the heavens stays at the inn he's at one stormy night?





	1. Bad Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For added spook effect, I suggest listening to "Nightmare" by Love Automatic while reading this. It's what I was doing while most of this was being written.

# Bad Dreams

_… Link..._

_Link..._

_Wake up…_

Such a familiar voice that stirred the smallest groan from paled lips as he shifted where he lay. Link didn’t want to wake up, plain and simple, he would much rather stay right there were he was in the darkness and while he tried to fight it at first the ever present push-and-pull nagging sensation in the back of his mind drove him to slowly open his eyes. He was not met with the familiar sight of his room in the upper loft of the barn, but instead inky black all around and the chilling sense of dread settled heavy in his gut before Link could even have his first real thought. Above him a large circle loomed miles overhead and the only source of difference to break up the darkness that was swallowing everything whole. It seemed so far away and, for a moment, he thought it might be the moon but he could faintly spy what looked like fog cascading over the edges that told him he was underground somewhere… When had he gotten there? Where was there? About a hundred questions ran through the hero’s head and he had a sneaking feeling none of them would be answered soon.

Link pushed himself up to stand even though it wracked him with a terrible bout of vertigo that caused his legs to feel boneless and his stomach to twist uncomfortably. Being plunged in what felt like an endless abyss gave him the sense of being spacially lost - telling up from down was near impossible even as he stood on solid ground Link still felt as though he were adrift at sea, the threat of slipping beneath the waves and drowning bordering on the edge of his awareness. The knight knew he had to get his bearings but that ran the chance of running face first into a wall, or worse, falling into yet a deeper pit he wouldn’t have a hope of seeing in time to save himself. Further down was the last place he wanted to go.  
With his brain finally coming out of the freshly woken haze the rest of his senses were coming around and immediately he had to bite down the urge to vomit. The _smell_ hit Link like a punch to the gut and the hero lurched forward, barely catching himself to double over and painfully dry heave, tears springing to his eyes.  
Rot. Death. Decay. All around him, that’s all he could smell, a putrid cloud of something long dead and rotting in the darkness. He once encountered a scent like this before when he was traveling through the Faron Woods and had come across the carcass of one of the large roaming bovine in the area. Everything he could gather from just looking at it had suggested it had probably been spooked by a Bokoblin, where it ran itself off a cliff and struck a rock at the bottom of the lake, telling from the damage done to the caved in skull. The body had drifted downstream until it ran up on the bank where it had laid in the hot sun and humidity for no one knew how long. Green-grey liquid oozed from the gaping hole left in it’s head and the chest cavity was bloated up twice the size it should have been; every time a maggot squeezed it’s way out of some hole a small hiss of air released and let out more of that decaying stench. The constant rush of water had stripped at least one back leg of flesh and muscle, the bones barely hanging on by a few threads of water weak skin while the other was gone entirely. The sight had stuck with him for a few days after, then once in awhile the scene would drift back into his mind and Link would have to excuse himself to get some fresh air. The hero had wanted to vomit then, he wanted to even more so now.  
Bile flooded the back of his throat and his eyes continued to burn from the rancid smell clinging to the air like a sickness. Link swallowed down the lingering taste and brought a hand to his face trying to cover his mouth and nose the best he could, though wisps still crept in between his fingers and made him shudder each time. It was so strong he could have fooled himself into thinking he had just taken a bite out of whatever it was, but perhaps that was just the sharp taste of copper gone sour on the back of his tongue.

It took the will of a Lynel for him to move at last, blindly reaching out with his free hand in front of him in hopes that he’d find a wall before his shuffling feet found a hole to plummet into. Minutes felt like years until finally his fingers came in contact with something. Link jumped, though he would never admit it, and retracted his hand as though he had just been shocked. A more cautious second attempt found that it was a cold metal surface, smooth with large grooves cut into it, likely making a pattern but without the use of his eyes even Link’s fingers couldn’t begin to piece together what that pattern was, if anything at all. The most the knight could figure was that it was a wall and it was his safest bet on finding his way out, so he stuck to it and started to follow at a slightly quicker pace. As he went he kept an eye on that circle overhead to see if he was getting nearer or further away from it, but after a few minutes of walking it occurred to him that he was following the outermost wall of a circular room. Well, now his best bet was trying to find a door out.

As the blonde pressed on the smell only got stronger and paired with his unwillingness to breathe excessively it was making him a bit light headed. Worry and the start of fear was beginning to curl up his spine like a snake, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, but he was determined to keep his composure as long as he could. The idea of being stuck in perpetual darkness was not appealing in the slightest but he had to keep a level head until he could figure out what was going on. Panicking now wouldn’t get him anywhere but more of a headache and more lost than he already was.  
The longer Link went being unable to see, the more he noticed his other senses making up the difference. Better smell was unwanted because that stink refused to leave but now he could hear a little bit better and he was becoming acutely aware of the fact there was something else breathing in the room. Link wasn’t alone and that thought terrified him to a slow crawl as he held his breath and strained his ears to hear more, hoping that perhaps he could pinpoint where this mystery creature was and avoid it. The last thing he wanted to do was bump into something that he couldn’t see that had the potential to kill him…

Unfortunately for Link, said mystery creature was already aware of his presence and had been for some time.

Link stilled entirely when he heard movement. Every muscle in his body froze, even his brain shorted out for a moment and there were a few terrifying seconds all he could hear was the sound of blood pounding in his ears. Whatever it was in there with him was large and heavy, that was the distinct sound of something being dragged across the ground, like an engorged belly of some massive monster. There were groans, grunts and hisses as it went, forcing itself along, and it was far too late that Link realized it was getting closer. Slowly but definitely creeping his way.

_“Stupid boy…”_

The voice came so suddenly out of the darkness that Link nearly screamed but instead let out a terrified yelp, as honestly it was all he was capable of in that moment. The hero was trying to turn his head towards the sound but wasn’t given a chance when long, sticky fingers curled around his throat. Now this was a perfect time to panic.  
Link tried to pull back but only managed to slam himself in the wall, pain erupting at the back of his head where it struck metal. The room was slowly coming to life with an eerie orange glow but he couldn’t focus on that, not when he was desperately clawing at the wrist and arm now pulling him up off his feet by the grip around his neck. Bits of blackened, soft flesh came away under his nails and dripped to the floor like dead leaves off a tree and suddenly he became aware of where the smell was coming from. It was this thing.

_“Look at the valiant hero now… Are you going to beg for your life?”_

More and more the room lit up, more and more Link could see the creature holding him captive. He was in the den of the horrific amalgamation that had been Calamity Ganon when they had fallen in the Castle. This was Calamity Ganon but… How? How?! It was impossible! Fingers grasped tighter around his neck and Link tried to frantically gulp down air, his boots scraping along the wall he was pinned against as he was dragged up it. This monstrosity had already been defeated, Link had watched with his own eyes as Zelda sealed him away once again at the end of a long, draining battle that had spanned several hours and taken it’s toll on everyone. Calamity Ganon was dead! At… at least he should have been, but Link was sure this was him and he was slowly crushing his neck too.

The hero’s blood ran cold and his head spun as the air slowly trickled from his lungs. Tears escaped the corners of his eyes and he dug his fingers into gooey flesh and tried to rend it away hoping that if he inflicted enough pain the monster would drop him and he could escape. A deep, sickening laugh rumbled from the horror holding him - the sound was a wet gurgle as thick, black tar oozed from a gaping maw.

_“You really think I am so easily defeated by a sniveling child and her lap dog?”_

There was something of a grin along those crooked, jagged teeth. The misshapen beast threw his head back to cackle as Link struggled, darkness dancing around the edges of his vision as his head swam. Weakly a gore covered hand tried to reach for a weapon at his waist but there was none, he had nothing to defend himself with and the grip around his neck didn’t show any signs of loosening, even with his efforts that grew less and less as all the strength was sapped out of him. There was the strong taste of blood in his mouth now and it trickled from the corners of his lips. The laugh was grating like a metal blade against a stone wall, discomfort stung through his body and it made him squirm. At some point another hand came to Link’s throat and tilted his head back with a thumb under his chin and Calamity Ganon loomed nearer, so close Link could feel hot breath rolling over his face and thick globs of that black substance dripped on to him.

_“I will find you. You will suffer.”_

Now the maw parted further than it should have been allowed, breaking Ganon’s face from the corners of his mouth upwards. Countless rows of teeth guarded a slimy black tongue that writhed in this monster’s glee as his prey tried to swipe at him, but to no avail. An unholy, blood curdling scream ripped through the air and those teeth lunging for him were the last thing he saw…

Before he woke up.


	2. Check-In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super big shout out to my beta reader that helped me edit this chapter and worked with me through all of my grammatical nonsense. You know exactly who you are and I love you.
> 
> Also this chapter is just a lot of establishing world building junk for the open-ended after game limbo that we're sort of left in. So kind of a filler chapter but not exactly? I think the next one is going to be a lot of filler but with setting up plot points for later chapters and will make rolling into chapter 4, which is the STUFF IS HAPPENING moment, a bit easier.

# Check-In

The jolt to awareness felt like a full body shock delivered directly to his nerves. Sitting up as quickly as Link did left his body screaming in protest, or maybe he really was and he was just deaf to his own voice in his panic. Every muscle felt as though it were on fire as much as they felt like they were frozen solid, like he had decided to take a swim in a lake on a high mountaintop and each labored breath came with a sharp, burning metallic aftertaste.

Strands of dirty blond hair clumped together to cling to his neck and forehead, his hands shook as he gripped fistfuls of blanket so hard his knuckles went white. His throat ached and it took several ragged breaths until he could lift his hands to touch his neck, checking for the tenderness that often came with bruising. It had been a dream, and there was a part of him that understood this, but it was so easily drowned out by the larger screaming bit that was convinced gangly, rotting limbs were going to grab him and drag him back to that hell. That decaying odor was stuck at the back of his throat and Link dove to the side of the bed, choking as he gagged from the sour saliva on his tongue.

Thankfully, there was no vomiting today.

Link closed his eyes and took a few slow breaths to try and wrangle his wild mind. No monsters. There were no monsters. This was the safest place the hero could have ever hoped to be and there was no way anything like that could get him here. … Right?  
No longer could the knight hear the deafening roar of his own heartbeat in his ears and it made trying to listen to reason that much easier. Outside, there were birds chirping, cuccos chattering, and in the distance, a bit further off, he could hear goats and horses. He was home. Slowly he sat up and even slower he dared to look outside the small square window nearby. It was so bright it made the space behind his eyes throb, yet it was just another indicator that everything was fine. There wasn’t anything to worry about.

It was early enough that sunlight still pooled through the window and spilled across his legs. Dust bits floated in and out of the beams, aimless in their journey from one side of the room to the other. The smell of warm hay and clean animals drifted up through the thin spaces between the floorboards and brought with it a wave of comfort.

Finally, Link felt the tension leave his shoulders like water being poured over his head and down his back. A shuddering breath came before a small sob from the hero, his hands snapping to cover his mouth. If someone was downstairs he didn’t want them to hear. The young man leaned forward and brought his knees up to hide away in them when the tears started and his shoulders shook in forcefully controlled sobs.

What in the hells had that been? Link was not a stranger to nightmares, actually he was painfully familiar with them when they had come every few nights during his travels. Before he had noticed he was more likely to have them near the drawing of a Blood Moon, but there hadn’t been one of those in almost a year. Still, even as used as Link was to reliving the horrors of battles in his sleep, that had been something else entirely. It had felt so _real_. The tastes, the smells - when he swallowed his throat was sore, as if it really had been crushed… Or if he had been screaming in his slumber.

A few minutes were given to just crying it out. It gave Link a headache by the time he was leaning back to rub at puffy red eyes.

Okay.

Deep breath in, deep breath out… Then again. Now, once more.

The hiccups and sniffles died down as he went through a mantra an old sword instructor had taught him. By the end of it Link was calm; he was collected and everything from the tips of his ears down to his toes had a dull, irritating ache to it. He stared for a long time at his hands, mulling over everything, and with a great sigh through his nose he decided that it was time to start the day.

Almost an hour passed before Link eased open the door to the barn and stepped outside to meet the warm sunlight and cool breeze. Now that peace had been declared, Hyrule was once again in a time of prosperity and the expansion of settlements had been on the rise. The borders of established villages had pressed further out, made easier by the dwindling number of monsters inhabiting each region. New places were starting to pop up, especially in the areas the Guardians used to roam; it was much easier to put down roots without the daunting threat of being blown up lingering around. Link had even heard a few rumors about a potential Hyrule Castle renovation project to take place later in the year, spearheaded by Zelda herself.

By far Link found his favorite place to be was the settlement that had sprung up around the Dueling Peaks stable - now appropriately called ‘Dueling Peaks Village’. A couple of fishermen huts had set up along the river and a larger hall had been built for local hunters and trappers to use. Closer to the mountains, a forge was established where a blacksmith and a few miners worked out of, making armor and weapons for the travelers that passed through in need of a way to defend themselves. The forge also provided a decent amount of coin from the precious gems that were cultivated and shipped off to jewelry crafters all over Hyrule. When civilian homes had been built, folks from Kakariko and Hateno village had moved in, looking for fresh starts and new faces to meet. In fact, just a few weeks prior a notice had been sent to every imaginable corner of Hyrule that there was going to be a street market set up for merchants and crafters to show off their wares and meet with others they may have never thought of before. The turn out had been astonishing! There was food and music, children running around with wooden Bokoblin and Moblin toys, and people laughing or retelling grand stories. Link had politely declined to stay with the crowd, instead grabbing a few bits of food before making his way off to the side where he could watch, but he had loved every minute of it.

It had been a surreal thing to be a part of when a year ago everyone had feared the end of the world.

The biggest addition to the area was the large ranch built up as an extension to the stables, allowing that building to function as a larger inn instead. The land behind the stables had been cleared of rubble and the dormant Guardians had been painstakingly deconstructed and carted off to the Research Labs to do… Whatever it was they wanted with them now. Research of some kind, probably, but given the weapons and armor capable of being made, it was hard to say for sure. At the ranch there were cows, goats, horses and cuccos that provided everyone with plenty of food. All of the animals had great caretakers from the family that owned it, as well as Link.

Who would have guessed that the great hero of Hyrule would also make a great farmhand?

In the distance, near the grazing horses he could see Vura, the ranch owner’s daughter and the person he worked with most days. She was a few years younger than he was but she worked twice as hard under the teasing jab that she was “not about to let the hero of Hyrule do more work than her.” At first, Link wasn’t sure if it was some sort of compliment or insult but had eventually come to learn it was her own self imposed challenge to not be out done by him. Not like Link was actively making it a competition of any kind but he wasn’t about to take away her steam and drive to push herself to be better.

As Link made his way closer, Vura noticed him and was quick to meet him halfway with a wide, freckled smile and bristle brush in hand. He returned the grin and even offered a lazy wave of his hand in greeting.

“Good morning, Link!” she was a chipper as ever and it was contagious. “Did you sleep alright?”

Now Link faltered a little bit, his own smile losing its edge. Did she know? Had he been that loud? A beat passed before he signed, _‘Good.’_ as a simple, easy answer. She looked between his hands and his face and there was a moment of awkward air that hung between them before she nodded her agreement with the statement and didn’t pry further. He was thankful for that, because he didn’t think he had the energy or will to explain anything that had happened.

Suddenly Vura’s face lit up and she pointed to the inn next to the road. “You woke up at a perfect time. The Princess just stopped by not too long ago. We told her we could wake you up but she insisted on letting you sleep. She said she would be waiting there until noon. I’m pretty sure she wants to talk with you.”

Link’s ears perked up a bit. He would have prefered being woken up if it had saved him from that nightmare but he appreciated Zelda’s consideration all the same. He paused though, chewing on the inside of his lower lip. _‘Work.’_ he signed, then thumbed to himself.

Vura shook her head, “Don’t worry about it. Anything the Princess wants with you is more important. I already asked Pa about it and he said it was fine - but tomorrow you have to muck the stables.” Her grin was playful but Link felt that it was an entirely fair trade, so he bobbed his head in a nod and turned to take off jogging towards the horse-headed inn.

Finding Zelda and her crew was easy given how many of the folks had gathered around one area and all the chatter. Link made his way through the small crowd, gently easing between the bodies that soon started to part when they realized who it was. At last he came to the edge of the small circle that had formed around a large, sturdy looking man with a scarred face and silver at his temples and… And Zelda. She pulled her attention from the children she had been speaking with to turn and look at the source of the silenced crowd, pausing at the sight of the hero who was staring right back at her. There she was, in weathered, worn leather armor and a well cared for rapier at her side. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and Link could see lines of stress and worry already beginning to form on her face - he knew that’s what they were because he had the same. Her eyes were tired yet still full of such a fiercely burning fire that Link knew, even when she was old and gray, it would never die. Never.

Life on the road had started to change her but he knew she loved every moment of it, even with the struggles the journey brought. Her smile softened around the edges and she let out a small, breathy laugh.

“Oh Link. It’s so good to see you.”

A warm breeze gently brushed through the leaves of the nearby tree and in that moment all of his worries were taken with it. Everything would be fine in time, he just had to have a little faith and remember to breathe.


	3. Red Sky at Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a monster of a chapter and I am so sorry. IT'S SO BIG. Once again, full of world building and introducing the traveling crew! This is setting everything up for how the next chapter is going to go with some revelations and mysteries to be solved! Again, many thanks to my beta reader too!

# Red Sky at Night

“Alright everyone,” the big man standing next to Zelda spoke up after a few moments of silence had settled on the crowd, “The Princess has things to attend to. You all get back to your lives, she’ll be back around again soon.” No one was about to argue with a guy that could handle a claymore with one hand, so there was very little grumbling. Soon the people dispersed to go back to their day and leave the traveling crew to themselves. With a soft smile on her lips, Zelda stepped forward and just hugged Link tightly around the shoulders. Some bits of metal on her armor jabbed him uncomfortably in the chest or stomach but he hardly cared when it was backed with such a warm, welcoming embrace. It took Link almost no time to return it, brows knitting up just a touch and ears dipping back. This was one of his favorite reasons why he loved when Zelda hunted him down to visit. The company they had between each other wasn’t like anything they could have with anyone else, it was a connection created from the hell they had both suffered through. One of them a hundred years asleep, recovering from the battle that had nearly taken his life; the other a hundred years awake, fighting off the end of the world in hopes it would be saved one day.

That wasn’t really a bond you could get anywhere else.

When they pulled away from each other there was a bit of shiny wetness to their eyes that neither would quite admit. Zelda let out a soft, breathy laugh and scrubbed at a spot beneath her eye. The man standing next to them cleared his throat, a gentle reminder that he was in fact still there, and Zelda snorted with a roll of her eyes. More space was put between her and Link before she looked up at the older man with a raised brow.

“Oh, I’m sorry Princess,” came the gruff reply to her unamused questioning look, “I was just getting choked up on the sentiment. There was something in my throat.” Zelda scoffed and shook her head, though she noticed the slightly confused look from the hero. This man hadn’t been with the crew the last time Link saw Zelda and as her Champion he would always have a concern for those she traveled with, regardless if he was with her or not.

“Link, this is Boros. He joined us about a month ago when we found him being overrun by Moblins. We helped him out and he’s decided to stick with us since. What he lacks in a sense of appropriate timing he makes up for being a fine fighter.” Zelda introduced him with a smirk, earning her a narrowed squint from Boros.

“My sense of timing is just peachy, Princess.” He retorted sharply with a huff, “Really, with all I do for you and this is the sass you give me. How did you ever put up with this, Link?” Link looked at Boros and shook his head, hands up with palms out. He was not about to be dragged into the middle of this. Though in his silent defense, Zelda had only started to really come out of her shell over the recent year so this was new to him as well.

“Regardless… It’s good to finally meet you, champion. Princess Zelda always speaks so highly of you when she recalls the tales of your adventures.” Link cast a raised brow look at Zelda, who only smiled with her hands clasped behind her back.

“I promise it’s only ever the good ones, Link.” Somehow that didn’t make him any less worried about the things she was telling people. During their recovery after the battle with Calamity Ganon, she had told him she had always been watching over him. From the moment he had woken from his slumber to when he had taken those first steps into Hyrule Castle for the final battle. It was both a comforting statement but also one that made him squirm, as there were moments during his travels he hoped no one had seen at all. He didn’t linger on that thought for long and had never asked her to clarify, mostly because he honestly didn’t want to chance knowing the truth.

A few yards away Link could see the horse drawn canvas covered wagon they used for travels, as well as the rest of the crew milling about. Most of them he actually recognized from previous encounters and when they noticed him looking over, they all waved. Only a few of the original founding group had remained, the others either perished or returned home after discovering that the life of traveling adventure might not be for them. It was an entirely valid sentiment, there was no judgement passed about those who wished to go back to their loved ones. To their lives. Zelda made it known to anyone interested that they would always be around for people to join if they desired.

There was Amara, a Gerudo with a terrifying proficiency at archery who valued her aim as much as she did her looks. She could be demanding at times and perfected the ‘death glare’ look to the point she could stare down a small group of Bokoblins into turning tail and running. Amara had a fierce loyalty, especially to Princess Zelda, and would willingly fight anyone that dared to wrong her. Link had thought her a bit like Urbosa, though younger and a bit more hot headed, but it was a strange sort of comfort to have something familiar.

Kendal and Kendel were the set of male Hylian twins that had joined up shortly after Link and Zelda had first set out. Freckled redheads that had a disposition for mischief as well as being adept sticky-fingers, good for getting in and out of places without being found out. It had taken Link a long time to be able to tell them apart, but he didn’t tell them that so he wouldn’t break their hearts. Even if they did like playing pranks and sometimes their joking went too far, the twins were great traveling companions.

Saida and their wolf, Ryder, had joined several months ago. Saida was an incredible tracker, hunter and damn good cook even if that only really meant open flame grilled meats from their kills. They had also brought a friend with them, a Rito known as Mel, who was a very loud, boisterous man. Mel ran hot a lot of the time and was often getting into petty little arguments with Amara over everything. Mel was, unfortunately, grounded after an accident with one of his wings that had destroyed many of the feathers leaving him unsuitable for flight. Instead of letting it get him down, no pun intended, he had picked up a sword and shield and learned how to fight with the best of them. He said it made it easier to travel away from the village where he wouldn’t see as many Rito in the sky where he wanted to be. There would always be that nagging urge to be up there among the clouds.

Now, Zelda had added Boros into the mix; a man that looked like he could handle a Guardian by himself, along with Zelda who was deadly in her own right. They all made an excellent team. A team in which Link felt that eight was just one person way too many. Though now that he was looking at them all, thinking about the personalities he knew, Boros and Zelda were basically the parents looking after five screaming children and their dog. The thought made him snort a soft laugh and when the other two looked at him all he could do was smile and wave them off.

“We’re heading to Kakariko village, I have many things I want to tell Impa.” Zelda explained to Link as they walked towards the wagon and horses, “I thought you might want to join us… So I had Vura saddle up your horse. I hope that wasn’t terribly forward of me?” She looked back at Link and offered a sheepish sort of smile, her shoulders bunched up a bit. Link looked at his tan and brown mare ready to go, then back to Zelda where he shook his head. Taking that as him not being upset Zelda relaxed and followed suit with him when he pulled up into the saddle.

“It shouldn’t take long to get there, Princess. I will let you and Link take the point ahead of the wagon.” Reins in hand, Boros was positioned in the driver's seat, ready to go at their discretion. Zelda acknowledged him with a nod and set her horse in motion alongside of Link’s, heading towards the secluded Kakariko village just up the mountain.

By the time the traveling group had arrived at the village tucked into the mountain valley, the sun had long passed overhead, by a few hours after lunch if Link had to guess. Or, perhaps by the way the twins were complaining that they were starving, the poor things just wasting away to nothing in the back of the wagon. Boros threatened he was going to throw them off the mountain but that did little to deter them from their whining. The wagon and horses were checked into the small, newly built stable at the entrance of the village and the rest of the way was made on foot. The villagers greeted them warmly with smiles and well wishes of their travels. A bit into the village they were approached by one of the guards that stood outside the building Impa could often be found at and he led them the rest of the way down the winding path.

“I’m sorry, but from here it will just be Princess Zelda and Link.” he informed them when they stopped, “However, the Elder was expecting you to arrive today and she has asked the innkeeper to prepare a meal and lodgings for the night.” There was a bit of confusion amongst the group, slight whispers and looks given to Zelda. None of them remembered her sending word ahead or saying she had and Link certainly wouldn’t have done it.

“Oh, well. In that case, Princess, please tell that lovely spring Cucco of a woman that she is so wonderful.” Kendal chimed from the back, gently grabbing one of Saida’s arms to lead them away.

“Yes. She knows how to get to a man’s heart - through the stomach!” Kendel added, already shoving Mel and Amara back up the path while muttering something about stuffing himself sick. Zelda looked from them to Link who could only offer a shrug and shake of his head.

“... Of course. Boros, ple-”

“I know, Princess. I’ll watch them and make sure they don’t pocket things they don’t need.” the big man was already turning to follow them, “Don’t worry. Just take your time with Impa. We’ll be there when you’re done.”

“Hey! We only borrow things and…” The words trailed off as the group grew further away and Zelda turned to walk with Link up the steps to the large building that overlooked the village center. Paya stood at the door to greet them, offering them both a bow they returned in kind.

“We are glad you made it today. Grandmother has been speaking about you both at great length. Please, come in.” She stood aside to allow them entrance and Zelda stepped forward to open the door.

Inside it was as dimly lit as usual and the decor had hardly changed at all. Link remembered it as vividly as the day he had first arrived. There was the strong smell of sandalwood, burning candles and freshly brewed tea. The source came from a table set up in the middle of the room that had a still steaming teapot on it and four small, fragile cups. There was a platter of salted grilled fish and pan fried veggies in a large bowl. Impa sat at the table with a scroll rolled out in front of her, a feather quill and inkwell nearby. She looked up and offered them an unsurprised yet warm smile, a shaking hand beckoning them in further.

“Come in, come in. The tea will be getting cold soon.” Paya closed the door gently behind them and stepped up to eventually settle near her grandmother while the other two sat across from her.

“Impa, you knew we would be visiting today?” Zelda inquired as she sat.

“Of course I did, Princess. I know many things, except for the grand stories you want to tell me.” Impa chuckled knowingly, such a sound that had years and years of wisdom behind it. If she was just humoring Zelda or not remained unknown, but either way the tea was poured and it warmed everyone to the bone. Finally, Zelda started recalling the discoveries she had made.

Minutes dragged into hours as the talking went on. For the most part Link, Impa, and Paya stayed silent and listened with their full attention, drinking or nibbling food as she went. Zelda pulled out her journals and maps to point out different things or explain more in depth when she was asked something. From Guardian research, to the hunting patterns of Lynels, down to the shore where the locals had spoken about strange lights in the water, Zelda seemed to have found something in every corner of Hyrule. She spoke at length of the people she had met along the way or the battles that had happened. Link was internally so proud to hear that she was doing well and holding her own, even more so when she showed off a few of the scars she had earned. Especially when she showed them with such a gleeful grin, because for once she finally felt like she was doing things for herself entirely on her own and she owned up to everything that happened along the way.

“Goodness. I’m sorry I’ve just chatted your ears off.” She laughed when she realized just how much she had been talking.

“No, child, it’s perfectly fine,” Impa told her as she shook her head, “It is good to hear you speaking of your travels with such enthusiasm. I am a firm believer that means you are doing what you should be.” It was a far cry to how she had spoken of her duty as the Princess all those years ago. No longer was she unsure of herself, of what she was meant to do. Now she was doing what she wanted, not what someone told her to do.

Now Impa turned to face Link, “And what about you, Link? Has the farmhand life been treating you well?”

Despite the fact that most of the time Link was just a stone's throw away from where Impa lived, he actually didn’t visit village often. Actually, he didn’t visit at all. _‘Yes,’_ he started his answer when he set his cup down, _‘It treats me well. I am happy.’_ He wasn’t lying when he said that. Still, something on his face must have spoken words he did not because he noticed how Impa’s gaze lingered on him. Like she knew about something he didn’t want to tell her.

Impa’s hands came to rest politely in her lap and she stared at the scroll in front of her. Outside the sun had set, far past dusk into night and pools of moonlight streamed into the room and added to the light of the candles.

“I knew you were going to be here because I saw it in a dream.” The elder said. Just that word alone, “dream,” it made Link’s blood run cold. The skin on his arms raised up like the hair on the back of his neck and very suddenly he forgot how to breathe. Stranger than that was when he looked over at Zelda he noticed all the color had drained from her face and she was holding on to her teacup he feared it might crack at any moment. It seemed at least two of them in the room were hiding something.

“A dream,” Zelda repeatedly, sounding far more shaken then perhaps she intended, “What kind of dream?”

Though it was a question that would be answered far, far down the line.

“Zelda! Princess Zelda!” It was faint but they could definitely hear Boros calling for them outside. Zelda and Link were on their feet in a second to rush to the door and throw it open and step outside. Before they could ask him what was wrong they saw it…

The whole sky looked like it had been bathed in blood. The moon and clouds had a sickening crimson tint to them that was reminiscent of the Blood Moons when Ganon had been at his peak of power. Link remembered the first time he had seen one rise to the highest point in the night sky and heard Calamity Ganon scream into the darkness. He had been in a Bokoblin camp when it happened and had seen first hand the enemies he had just slain pick themselves up and turn on him again. It had been a difficult enough fight the first time but in his fear of seeing the dead literally come back to life he had fled. Even after that he had never gotten used to the Blood Moons that had followed. He was of the opinion it wasn’t something one should get used to seeing.

There was no way this could be! _Ganon was dead._ It had been almost a year now and no one had seen this occurrence since, so why now? Zelda charged down the stairs with Link in tow to meet Boros. There was panic in the village all around them, people fleeing to their houses as quick as they could.

“Are you two alright?” Boros asked as he looked between the two of them. Link gave him a nod before he turned his eyes skyward again.

“How can there be a Blood Moon?” Zelda was making her way up the path, though instead of heading towards the horses she took the hard left up to the Shrine. Link and Boros followed, pushing past people until they arrived at the foot of the Shrine. It was the best view they could get without scaling parts of the mountainside but it was good enough.

“Princess, that isn’t the moon. It’s not high enough.” Boros pointed out, and he was right. The moon had only just begun it’s climb. Link squinted as he looked, spotting something behind the clouds so he reached out to tap on Zelda’s shoulder and point to what he saw.

There was something large but quickly moving through the dark clouds far above, streaking across the sky. It dipped between openings until it finally came low enough to be in full view, revealing itself to be what they assumed was a bright, red star that was so powerful it was turning the whole sky red. They watched as it arched from one end of the horizon towards the other, flying lower and lower with each passing second.

“It’s falling.” Zelda muttered, looking a little bit ahead of where she thought it was going, “It’s going towards the desert!” the seconds ticked by and the space between land and the star grew shorter. It fell past where they could still see but a beam of light, like a beacon, shot up from the point of impact and a few seconds later a deafening crack boomed across Hyrule. It scared the birds out of the trees around them, the wildlife startled and now running blindly in panic. As the sound faded so did the color and the pillar, slowly withering away like nothing had happened. Link stood in awe and fear, listening to the high pitched ringing in his ears and their collective breathing. What was that? And why did he get the gut wrenching feeling of dread? He swayed where he stood, his knees weak as a familiar sensation crawled up his spine.

A feeling that came from other times. It came from a childhood lost, from a place unfamiliar and masked. It came from a land cast under the sea, from a home in the sky. It came from a place of twilight and so many more. No matter where it came from there was something in him that knew what it was and he felt like he was going to be sick.


	4. Missing Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, I swear! This update took a bit longer then I wanted just from the one-two KO combo that is work + depression kicking my ass all over the place. So I really appreciate everyone that has been patiently waiting and are still here despite that 3 week silence. Thank you so much! This chapter was becoming so big that I decided I needed to split it into two, which is why there is that weird break in the middle. I'm still trying to figure out what is a good chapter length for the readers to read and me to be able to write. If any more seasoned fanfic writers have any tips about that I greatly appreciate them. Overall this chapter was really fun to write and I'm proud of myself for starting to notice the things that I've been working on getting better. I have less run on sentences and I feel my grammar is improving. Woo! I hope you all enjoy this and are ready for an emotionally compromising Chapter 5.

# Missing Star

“Boros, we need to leave.” The red hue had only just left the sky before Zelda made her announcement. Boros pulled his gaze from the direction the light had landed to Zelda, who was now making her way down the path back towards the village. He exchanged a brief glance with Link before they followed after, hot on her heels. Of course Zelda would want to go investigate immediately; discovery never took breaks, it couldn’t afford that kind of time.

“With all due respect, Princess, we need to talk to the rest of the crew. We haven’t had a decent night of rest in two weeks.” Boros protested firmly, “I understand you want to see what that was but they can’t be at their best when they’ve been run so hard.” He sounded tired.

Zelda was making her way down the trail quickly and didn’t seem to be paying him much mind. From the vantage point above the village Link could see just how much the night had been disrupted. Many people were standing outside their homes speaking with worried looks on their faces. The elders of the village were talking in hushed whispers and children woken from the commotion were being guided back to bed in hopes they wouldn’t catch on. The last thing anyone needed was a terrified child. Just past the apple tree a flash of white caught at the corner of Link’s eye and he stopped in his tracks to turn his attention to it. From this distance he could see Paya standing on the porch of Impa’s home, watching with a helpless expression as a couple of the village medics filed through the door. He recognized their face masks and low hanging hoods from the few times he had woken with them above his face after passing out or losing a fight near the village. One stayed to talk to Paya for only a moment before they followed the others and the door shut behind them, leaving her just standing there with a defeated expression. Link watched as she started to make her way down the stairs before his attention was ultimately brought back to the present with Boros and Zelda already at the base of the incline with the rest of the crew. It looked like they were arguing so he was quick to jog down and join them.

The twins leaned against each other, looking like they were about to fall asleep where they stood. Combination of too much food and not enough sleep was really starting to get to them and they looked the least interested in what was going on.

“I think the Princess is right. We should go immediately.” Mel said with Amara nodding in agreement. It wasn’t often they both had the same outlook on something so even Zelda was a bit surprised. Saida appeared to be the only person on the fence about the whole issue, putting their hands up while shaking their head.

“Don’t put me in the middle of this,” they said at some point, “I’m not going to say one way or another. If you think about it, the Gerudo are going to be there before anyone else can even come close to it - so whatever it was, it’s going to be seen by someone else first.” good logical thinking was Saida’s strong point.

“We want to go to bed. We’re exhausted.” Kendal whined.  
“And too full to try and move.” Kendel added.

“I told you, Zelda.” Boros grumbled, sounding just as much of the five year old he was feeling like in that moment. Zelda shot him a narrowed look which he just met in a dead stare, arms crossed over his chest.

“Look everyone, I know you’re all tired and everyone just wants to sleep. I’ll make a deal with you all: if we can get to the Outskirts stable tonight, then to the Canyon stable first thing in the morning, anyone who wants to stay there and sleep can for the entire day if that’s what they want. I promise I won’t wake anyone up that doesn’t want to go into the desert to investigate.” Zelda pleaded softly, before motioning to their tracker, “Saida is right, Lady Riju most likely has her guards checking it out at this moment so I know we’re not going to be the first ones there. But there are still Yiga around and I don’t want them getting ahold of anything to do with… whatever that was. Please tough it out with me for one more night and I will give you as much rest as you want.” Zelda shifted her gaze between the stalwart Boros standing off to the side and the twins almost desperately, her fingers clasped before a little bit.

Boros didn’t look pleased, for starters. He was exhausted and it showed in his face. Out of all of them, excluding Zelda and her very special circumstance, he was the oldest there. His dark grey gaze shifted between Zelda, the twins, as well as Amara and Mel, then back to Zelda. A beat passed, then another, and eventually he sighed as his shoulders slumped.

“Fine. Fine. We’ll travel tonight and tomorrow.” He relented at last. Kendal and Kendel looked at each other before they turned on Zelda, their expressions a bit sour.

“You owe us, Princess.” Kendal pointed a bit accusingly at her, but even she could tell it lacked any real fire.  
“You owe us big time.” Kendel grumbled as he and his brother turned to start stalking back towards the inn. Amara and Mel grinned at each other and were quickly shoved on the arms by Saida who was muttering a command to ‘move it or lose it’. Boros was the last to turn after giving Zelda an exasperated look.

“You’re driving.” He told her then turned to follow the rest, leaving a relieved Zelda behind with Link who had lingered near patiently to see what would happen. Link could visibly see the energy drain from her and stepped up to gently place a hand on her back in silent reassurance. She looked at him to offer a slight smile in thanks and seemed to perk up just a bit.

“I think you should come with us, Link. It’s been awhile and I think some adventuring would do you well. We could use the extra blade, just in case whatever that was turns out to be hostile.” she turned to him to clasp one of his hand in both of hers, looking hopeful, “Please?” oh no. Not the puppy dog eyes, he couldn’t handle that. The uncertainty was heavy on his features and he couldn’t meet her gaze, instead staring off at a particularly interesting rock in the road. Zelda wilted and he felt terrible as he withdrew his hand from hers.

_‘I’m sorry.’_ His hands were slow and deliberate in his speech. Link was genuinely sorry but the thought of facing off with whatever potential horrors might be lurking in the desert now made his skin crawl. It was a growing pressure up his throat that made it tight, harder to breathe, and his mind ran blank. There _was_ a part of him that missed the adventure, the fights, the prospect of discovery and it so desperately craved for him to be on the road again. But the part of him that needed time to recover was much larger and louder in his head.

“I understand,” she still sounded utterly defeated and though there was a pang of guilt Link knew she didn’t mean it, “I can’t make you. I wouldn’t even if I could. I need you to know that we’ll always be there for you, Link. Whenever you want to come back we’ll happily be waiting for you. I’ll write about whatever we find out there and send it to you, that way you won’t feel left out.” Her smile warmed him and put him at ease and now it was Link who hugged her this time. It was a hug Link felt was too short when Zelda pulled away but he still smiled at her. He didn’t need to tell her to be safe, to stop by again soon, or to always be alert. She knew these things already. They were silently shared words between them before Zelda turned to catch up with the others. Link watched her go until she turned a corner and he couldn’t see her anymore. The feeling of being alone again settled on his shoulders but it was an oddly comforting thing. Now he had something else to take care of.

As he headed towards where he had last seen Paya he could feel the eyes of the townsfolk on him when he passed. They were worried and he understood why but he didn’t have any comforting words to give. He was as lost on this as everyone else and he knew that made them more worried. When the Champion of Hyrule didn’t know what to do, who would? It made him press on quicker and duck his head a little lower.

Paya had not returned to the porch though after a moment of searching Link spotted her sitting at a table in the rest area near the grocer. She sat with her diary and pen in front of her but her head hung slightly and mostly entirely motionless. When Link drew closer he cleared his throat as to not startle her. When she looked up Link could see wet streaks down her face and how her eyes had gone all puffy and red from crying. Normally she would have gotten up in a rush to bow to him, flustered and at a loss for words, squirming on the spot. Now she couldn’t even manage that but Link hardly cared. He motioned to the seat across from her and with a sniffle she nodded her head. The hero sat and waited patiently for the young woman to collect herself enough to feel like speaking. She knew he had a question and she knew which one it was without him ever needing to ask.

“She’s sick,” she spoke softly, staring ahead into the grain of the table, “She gets worse every day. The doctors say that she…” Her words trailed off and she pinched her eyes shut, raising her hands to press the heel of her palms against them gently. A great breath was heaved but Link understood. His heart was heavy for Paya and he knew there wasn’t much he could do to comfort her besides being here in this moment.

“I don’t know what to do. When she is gone the responsibility of the village will fall to me. I’m not ready for that at all,” Paya set her hands on the table again with a sigh, “I’m afraid that I will never be a leader as great as her. I’ve spent so much of my life training and studying, yet there is still so much I don’t know.” At a loss for further words she grew silent and Link watched her eyes start to grow wet again. He tried to think of the words to tell her but every time he raised his hands to speak he found his fingers unable to move. Loss was already a hard topic to handle, and even more so when a person was still dealing with their own.

His blue gaze fell on the diary in front of her and he had a thought. Slowly he reached across the table to put two fingers on a page and tapped it until Paya looked at him. He made a sort of ‘may I’ gesture and though clearly confused Paya nodded and nudged the pen and inkwell closer to him as well. He flipped a couple of pages deeper to make sure he wasn’t writing anywhere near her own thoughts and picked up the pen. Several moments of silence passed between them, only broken up by the occasional sniffle from Paya as she watched on. When he was done he paused to read it over and deeming it good enough he slid the book back over to her.

“What is this?” She asked as she flipped the book around, wiping at her eyes with a sleeve. She started to read but some more tapping from the mute on the table caught her attention and she looked up. _‘Read it out loud.’_ she didn’t know if she liked the sound of that but she wasn’t going to argue with him, she was too tired for that.

“Being afraid is normal,” she started, the words slow and a bit clunky as they weren’t her own, “I do not think Impa would leave you unless she knew you were ready. I do not think,” Paya had to blink back tears and Link could hear how she choked up a bit, “That she wants you to follow her path in her shadow. You will make your own path just as good,” she had to pause and collect herself for a second before finishing the rest of the note, “The measure of a person lies not in how one deals with easy situations, but rather what they do when faced with the most hopeless of circumstances.”

If she knew it or not there was a reason Link had Paya read it out loud. It was one thing to hear your inner voice repeating words, but another entirely to have them come out of your mouth. There was something that made their meaning more solid and real. It simply gave them something more. Paya let out a tiny sob and pressed her hands against her eyes again. She tried to speak but stumbled over whatever it was she wanted to say and trailed off into another sob. Link felt himself starting to get the empathetic tears but he was able to keep them off when Paya calmed herself enough to look at him.

“Thank you,” she croaked, voice starting to go funny from all the crying, “To hear such words from the Champion himself is reassuring,” but Link was shaking his head. _‘You said them, not me. They came from you.’_ well, he had a point. Realizing he had gotten her there Paya let out a wibbly little laugh, wiping at the places beneath her eyes until the skin went red. Her laugh made him smile and she laughed a little more as some of the tension eased from her. To know someone believed in her, to some degree, gave her just enough hope in herself that she could face whatever life was going to bring her...

\-----

A day later, Zelda felt the biting heat of the cruel desert sun at the back of her neck. Dunes of sand before her and the stable behind her with at least half of her companions choosing to stay there instead. Amara and Mel followed alongside the Princess as they made their way to what they could only assume was the scene of the crash. What had given it away? From the mouth of the valley where the rock wall gave way to the sands they had spied a handful of what looked like massive crystal structures near where Vah Naboris usually rested. Zelda wasn’t in the desert often but she was very positive those hadn’t been there the last time she visited. She just had this creeping feeling in her gut that’s where they needed to go.

As they traveled the Princess noted the area was devoid of any enemies. If it was due to the constant patrols from the Gerudo or something else she didn’t know. There wasn’t anything in sight and while it made the journey easier it was just odd.

Growing closer to the strange pillars they realized a couple of things. They were, in fact, in the right area because the sounds of people going about could be heard and that the spires weren’t stones of any kind. They were glass. Massive spikes of glass were jutting out of the sand all over the point of impact, spreading out from it like they were created the moment whatever it had been hit the ground. The sand in the crater itself had been burned black, like a large sheet of obsidian and while it was solid enough to walk on every once in awhile the glass spires would shift from their weight moving the sand beneath. The sound of things that large moving, even so subtly, was terrifying no matter how beautiful they were. It looked like a couple had snapped, the tip of one now deeply buried in the sands where it had fallen and another cracked in several more places as it laid on its side.

A few of the guards spotted them first and one called over to Riju. There were several tents set up far away from the dangers of falling pillars and a stream of people moving between the crater and the impromptu research area. Riju was quick to dismiss herself and hurry out to meet Zelda and crew.

“Come here, you need to see this.” not even a hello! Not that Zelda was complaining as she glanced back at the other two, who just shrugged, and they all followed after Lady Riju. In the shade of her tent there were several large tables set up and each was covered almost entirely from corner to corner in papers, bits of glass, and blackened sand. Gerudo and Hylian alike were there talking amongst themselves and paid no mind to the newcomers. A few faces looked gaunt and tired already, most wearing mixed expressions of wonder and worry. Riju stopped at a larger table and picked up a chunk of the black sand, oddly formed but with a very clear handprint in the middle, handing it over to Zelda.

“We found this near the center of the crater.” Riju explained.

“Is this what made it? The crater and the glass?” Zelda was very confused.

“No. We.. We don’t know what made it. There was nothing there when we arrived. We saw the sky turn red and that thing coming towards us. There was no time to evacuate but no one was hurt. Some of the structures in the city were damaged due to the shake it caused but no casualties.” and Riju was beyond thankful for that fact.

Zelda furrowed her brows, placing her hand within the mold of the handprint. It was massive compared to hers. “This had to of been made when it was still hot. If anyone was there when it landed, they’d be dead. And a person can’t fall from the sky like that. They would be paste in the sand or ashes from the heat.” she frowned as she passed it over to Amara and Mel who turned it this way and that to look at it. Riju sighed as she leaned against the table, crossing her arms over her chest.

“We don’t have a single idea of what it was right now but that’s all we have to go off of. No one saw anything and we _were_ the first ones there, no Yiga in sight, but the hole was empty.” she shook her head slowly, “So if we allow ourselves to believe, for one moment, that it was a person and they fled into the desert, if the heat doesn’t kill them then the Molduga out there will. I already have several of my guards out there with sand seals risking themselves to search for something that they don’t even know what it will be if they find it.” it was a strange, hopeless situation to be in but that was why everyone was there, pouring every ounce of dedication they had to figure out the mystery. The sooner that the puzzle was put together, the safer everyone would be.

Putting her confusion and skepticism behind her Zelda stepped up to the research table and started to pick up a few notes. Riju gave her a raised brow look and the Princess shot back a determined smirk.

“Well come on. I’m here to help. Discovery doesn’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link's "the measure of a person" quote to Paya is actually a slightly changed quote I pulled from another game that I hold very near and dear to my heart. It was waaaay back on the Gamecube/PS2 era and not a lot of people knew it existed, so bonus points if you know what it's from!


	5. End of an Era

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I'm alive. Shocking right? I know. BUT YES. Three months later and I'm finally throwing this out here, hoping to have Chapter 6 up within a couple of days. I had to break up this chapter and the next or else I feel like it would have been a mega chapter and lsdfnhasd I still don't know how I feel about posting huge chunks yet. But thank you all so much for your patience and understanding and I hope everyone enjoys just how fucking horrific Link's nightmares are. Also y'all might notice a theme with the dream sequences! In that I really, really like writing them.

# End of an Era

Ashy dusk had fallen in Kakariko village. Skies were overcast with large clouds swathed in greys and black. There was the distant rumble of thunder, heralding the incoming storm. The rain wasn’t pouring yet and the smell of it made the air heavy, but beyond that there was a near overpowering scent of acidic medicine and rot.

More importantly, Link couldn’t remember when he had arrived.

The champion became aware of where he was rather abruptly, blinking as he zoned in and looked around in utter confusion. He could feel the panic rising up his throat and it made his breath catch but he kept himself in control in that moment. Link recognized where he was, he had been to Kakariko village countless times, yet at the same time there was an unmistakable sense of uncanny valley. There was just something wrong with the place. All the color had been drained out of the world, or perhaps that was just caused by the clouds above casting everything into darkness. Lazy wisps of what he could only describe as blackened dust curled up from the earth to disappear on the wind. Curious Link crouched to drag his fingers through what he thought was dirt, and instead was surprised to find that wasn’t the case at all. It fell away like the shell of a burnt log from a campfire with flakes that broke apart easily and left a black residue on his fingers. The buildings were doing the same thing but instead of crumbling it was just like a never ending state of being for them. It didn’t appear like a fire had ripped through the village and caused massive damage. Everything was still standing and besides the weird ash it all could have passed as normal. Creepy, but normal.

Every time he took in a breath Link could taste acidity on the back of his tongue when he swallowed. It reminded him of some of the medicine the village medics had given him before or the salves they used for wounds. It brought an uneasy feeling with it.

It was a ghost town. As far as Link could tell there didn’t seem to be any sign of a living creature in sight. No one outside that he could see and he doubted there was anyone inside either. There were no birds in the sky above, no bugs buzzing in hot summer air - absolutely nothing. He looked towards the central building again and noticed at the base of the stairs there was an object, about waist height and draped with a large white sheet. There was something beneath it that made the cover uneven but he couldn’t make out the shape from this distance. He shifted uncomfortably but steeled his nerves and started to make his way there, driven by a morbid curiosity to see what laid beneath. Of course there was a part of him that was begging him to turn around and flee as far away as he could but he needed to know. If he didn’t he knew it would keep him up at night.

As he drew closer he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and paused to look. Near the large tree next to the rocky wall he spied what appeared to be a couple of the village medics standing there. The gear they wore was unmistakable, from the wide brimmed straw hats and the cloth cough guards that bore the Shekiah eye hiding the lower portion of their faces. He had asked once and they told him it was to make sure they didn’t get sick and spread it to their other patients. Made sense. Now here they just looked unsettling as they stood there and stared at him. There was something off about them he couldn’t exactly put his finger on but honestly he didn’t want to stick around to find out what that feeling might be.

Neither of the doctors moved when Link stepped forward, though he did notice they very slight turn of their heads to follow him. Otherwise, they could have easily been mistaken for statues with how unmoving they were. However the closer he drew to the object under the sheet the more medics appeared seemingly out of thin air. Lingering just at the edges of his vision he saw them peeking around the corners of buildings and even a few looming high above on the ridge surrounding the village. None of them ever moved closer, but all of them were watching him. Like an audience he never wanted. All of the eyes on Link made his skin crawl, he felt like he was covered in ants he couldn’t brush off. Still, he walked forward, a ghostly pull making his feet walk for him now until he could stop within arms reach of the draped cloth.

It was breathing. There was a steady rise and fall of a chest with a raspy, wet noise beneath. The sheet dipped in to what he assumed was the mouth of whatever was beneath with each intake and smoothed with the exhale. They were weak, dying breaths of something barely grasping to the last string of life. Here was where the acidic smell was strongest, like the sheet had been soaked in it for days. It made it hard to breathe and Link felt his eyes watering from the sting. Before he could reach out the thing beneath began to shift, a slow wriggle back and forth as the pitch of the breathing grew. Very suddenly in the silence of the space around him there was the startling sound of what could only be described as breaking bones and rending flesh. A shiver crawled right up his spine and while he wanted to lurch away he was rooted firmly to the spot. Snap. Snap. Tear.  
The chest of the thing - or person - beneath the sheet suddenly caved in and the sounds stopped. Silence hung in the air once more but all Link could really hear was the rushing blood in his ears. There was that urge again, it made his fingers twitch at his sides. He had to see what it was. Perhaps too slow for his own good the hero started to reach out and his fingers had barely touched the sheet when something began to happen. Where the cloth was sagging into the chest cavity it began to turn black, the color rapidly spreading like a droplet of ink in water. The stain grew more and more and it brought with it the smell of burning hair. Large black bubbles gurgled from the pit and popped with a hiss when they grew too large. There was no turning back now. His fingers curled into the sheet and the head beneath it turned a covered, blind gaze towards him.

Now or never, Link.

Part of him was braced to flee, another part was prepared to fight. He had to _know_ what was here. The sheet was ripped away in a flutter, tossed to the ground and kicking up ash as it did so, revealing…

Nothing.

There was nothing there. There was only the stone slab but not that dying, pained thing. Not a hair, not a drop of blood or that ink like liquid - nothing. Shocked and stunned into unmoving silence Link looked down at the crumpled sheet on the ground where it lay lifelessly and unable to give him answers. His gaze turned into a narrowed glare for all of a moment before he sighed, hanging his head as he leaned forward with his palms pressed against the cold surface of smooth stone. Surely he was losing his mind! All of the stress was starting to eat away at his strands of sanity and now he was seeing things. Maybe it was time he pack up Epona and take a trip somewhere, anywhere with fresh air and no people to give himself time to clear his head. A great sigh left him and he shook his head, a faint and nervous chuckle leaving his lips.

Link was reminded he wasn’t alone by the creeping sensation up his spine.

He jolted to stand straight and spun around on his heel when he realized he was surrounded. By what? He was struggling to comprehend what it was he was looking at. There was a circle of what he could only assume had been the village doctors around him, about three layers deep of figures. There was no way these were people, even if they were wearing that familiar garb it was nothing more than a trick to give a false sense of security. Something that looked human but never could be.

The first thing he noticed was how much taller they had gotten now that they were close. Each one loomed over him about a foot or so and they all stank like a week old rotting carcass. But it was neither the height or the smell that had him frozen to the spot like he was, it was the rest of their physical bodies. The one front and center to his gaze was one of the worst shockers he could see, leaving him staring at a visage that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The skin was reddish brown with dark splotches of black, it bubbled up with pus oozing boils in places. Clumps of them were long burst open and drained to leave gaping holes along the body, some edged with green or yellow and clearly infected. The arms looked like gnarled branches of the dead trees deep in the Lost Woods, all twisted and jutting at odd angles only to end in wicked claws as long as daggers. The shoulder width was too wide, the hips too narrow, a neck doubled in length and the face… The _face_ …

The right eye was bloodshot with a pinprick pupil twitching wildly in its socket and unable to focus on anything more than a second at a time while the left eye was a useless, ghastly pale white and drooping where it was, as if threatening to collapse into the skull. The remaining portions of the face were twisted to the right side beneath the eye, like someone had grabbed it and _pulled_. There were no tears or lacerations in the skin, it merely looked like a botched, gruesome attempt to physically move a face on a skull and… And that’s not how bodies worked! They were not clay, they were muscles and fibres, yet this looked like a smear in the mud and it was unsettling how it all stayed in the place it was left, suspended across the skull in a morbid sight.

The others around it were in no better states. One was missing an entire lower jaw, another had an arm as thick as a tree trunk and covered in sacks of bloody pus that pulsated with every agonized breath the creature took. The sea of horror didn’t end no matter where Link would look, if he could rip his gaze from the one in front of him. It’s lips parted in a wet gurgle of blood before it took a step forward and Link at last hit the ‘fight’ response. Flight would do him no good, he was surrounded and outnumbered with no weapons to help but he would be damned if he didn’t cause some trouble on his way down.

It charged him in staggered, uncoordinated motions led by the erratic jerking motions of it’s head back and forth. At first those talons were dragging against the ground but about half an arms length away the oversized hands shot up in an attempt to grab him. Link had little time to shake off the bone chilling terror and get the cold ache out of his gut. He threw himself low and to the side, rolling through the ash onto his feet behind his clumsy enemy. It gave him enough time to surge forward, shoulder first, and throw all of his weight against the lower back. This sent the creature stumbling forward to smash the remnants of its face into the stone slab with a sickening, gut wrenching wet sound. Link felt bile bubble up his throat but now wasn’t the time, he would vomit later.

Were these people? Had they been citizens of Kakariko village at any point? These couldn’t be the doctors that had saved countless lives, his own included, many times over. They were supposed to help, not harm… No, he couldn’t afford to question the morality of what he was doing. Something was clearly very, very wrong and he’d never get any answers if he didn’t survive. Escape first, internalize later.

A drawling, pained moan from nearby shifted his attention to the one with the oversized arm making it’s charge at him. The appendage was so heavy with twisted overgrown muscle that it could hardly be lifted at this stage but with enough momentum it was able to be lifted and came down at Link like a club. Once again Link opted to stay low, using his lack of height to his advantage as he dove out of the way and lurched forward under the lumbering form. Spying a potential weak spot he abruptly caught himself on his left foot and hand, sweeping his right leg out in front to slam the heel into the side of a knobbly, bone thin knee. The champion was particularly horrified when it followed through with his kick and bent sideways at an unnatural angle. With a chilling _**SNAP**_ the bone crumpled like a twig underfoot and the monster came down with the rest of it. It would have crushed Link as well had he not scrambled out of the way, shaking even as he hopped up to his feet. He made the unfortunate choice to glance down and he could very clearly see bone and torn ligament peeking through paper thin skin, oozing a thick black substance he could only assume was blood.

He was going to be sick.

Two more came at him this time, both thin and gangly, swinging their clawed hands wildly trying to find Link and shred him to ribbons. A misjudged step to the side on Link’s part gave one enough purchase for a hooked talon to slice through the fabric of his tunic and crimson bloomed across the threads rapidly soaking it. He could ignore the stinging sensation enough to focus on trying to escape but as the two rounded to barrel down on him again something grabbed him from behind. The first monster that had been so unceremoniously shoved away and promptly smashed it’s face had managed to get up while Link was dealing with everything else and zeroed in on the champion. Sharp nails dug into his shoulder and suddenly yanked him back, past the oozing body, to throw him back to where he had started. The abrupt shift in his balance made him reel and stumble, knocking the wind out of him as he slumped into the side of the slab, wheezing out through the pain of it all. Though as he grabbed the edge and pushed himself up one of the monsters from the other side snapped forward and planted its hand over his face. Pain flared where his face was being dug into but he was hardly given any time to react when that hand pulled him back with force he wasn’t expecting. There was a loud crack when his skull met with stone and immediately he could feel the hot wetness dripping down the back of his neck. Link gave a dazed, half hearted struggle to get back up but was only slammed down again and in that moment his vision started to go black around the edges.

Like clockwork the circle began to move closer. Many other hands curled around Link’s arms to haul him onto the stone as he struggled to even keep his head up, the pain throbbing right behind his eyes and through his jaw. Blindly he pawed at anything he could reach but could find no grip as he was laid out and held down. Far above them the sky churned an angry red, a light flickered into existence and speared through the sky like a beacon. It was the star again, the only thing that anyone had been talking about for the last few days. But… how?

Link sucked in a breath through his teeth and twisted to try and wrench his arms free but was only met with an iron grip around his face that cracked his cheekbones and made his head spin. There wasn’t much he could see beyond the darkness spotting his vision and the fingers threatening to slice through the flesh of his cheeks as the hand continued to hold him there. He wheezed as the cold sank further into his belly, unable to pull his gaze away from the light in the sky. The color bled through the clouds and they rolled like waves of blood above, threatening to bring a crimson rain to the world.  
A sharp pain in his leg brought him from his wandering thoughts with a cry and he jerked his head up as much as he could to stare at the knife like claw digging into his thigh. It pushed deeper and Link wheezed blood from between his teeth, trying to ride out the pain. One of those _things_ loomed overhead now, a mutilated maw dripping bloody spit onto his chest and face. Every breath was hot and rank when it washed over his face, stinging Link’s eyes and burning his lungs with every inhale. The red light was getting more intense now, almost to the point of being blinding.

The claw withdrew from his leg at last and the hand raised high above him. Panic started to rear its head and his struggles became more frantic, the heels of his boots scraping against the stone beneath him as he tried to leverage himself away. He could hardly see the hand starting to come down and braced himself when it tore through his stomach…

A gasping breath suddenly ripped through the silence of the loft and Link shot up in bed as quick as an arrow. His blue gaze was set forward, wide and in shock as he tried to catch up with what he had just been dreaming about. Unfortunately his stomach was much quicker and he only had time to clamp a hand around his mouth before he was throwing up. The farmhand doubled over and gagged, dropping his hands to his knees to spit up onto the blanket over his legs. Not much but the strong taste and smell of bile was enough to be upsetting anyway. He coughed until his throat no longer burned and he was sure that wouldn’t happen again. The spit was wiped from his chin and he sat up slowly, ignoring the way he shook from head to toe and was drenched with sweat.

With the heaving over the blanket is slowly rolled up to be pushed off the side of the bed and Link is soon to follow. He doesn’t… fall off the cot so much as he just gently crawls onto the floor and rolls over to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. It was a dream. Just a dream. It hadn’t been real. There was something like sympathy pains on the back of his head and his leg but there were no wounds and no blood. There were no monsters in his room. Link knew where he was, holed up in the loft above the barn. He could smell the warm hay and animals down below and outside the small window he could hear the sounds of the farm, from braying animals to someone yelling across the field for someone else. Link’s shirt was sticking to his back and the floor, picking up bits of hay his boots had tracked in, making everything itchy. It was a sensation he was willing to deal with because it was just another reminder he was here, not there. That place had been fake, just a figment of an over stressed mind.

Link sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face slowly, pushing his fingers up through sweat drenched locks that stuck to his forehead. Could he just have one good night of rest? One day where he didn’t wake up afraid to go to sleep again. If he wasn’t having the most vivid nightmares that were horrific in every way possible, then he couldn’t sleep at all and suffered from the worst insomnia.

Why did it have to be him? Slowly, with an ache all over his body that sunk down to his bones, Link forced himself to turn and lay on his side, curling up where he was on the floor. He wondered if Zelda suffered the same, he had never bothered to ask - in part too afraid to admit what he was dreaming about, the other part unwilling to admit he was scared of his own mind. And if he asked and she said yes, what answers would he get then? At that point he’d then just know that his best friend was also having sleepless nights. Ignorance was bliss, after all.  
The champion closed his eyes and curled in a little tighter on himself. He didn’t really hear the first sob that left him, or those after, but eventually he cried himself back into a short nap. At least it was dreamless and the only short break he would get through the very long day ahead of him.


End file.
